Dispenser with suspended carrier



1959 H. L. SHIVEK DISPENSER WITH SUSPENDED CARRIER Filed Feb. 25, 1957INVENTOR. 744m) A UM.

BY W /W M2? WW2? W/w.

United States Patent DISPENSER WITH SUSPENDED CARRIER Herbert L. Shivek,Brookliue, Mass., assignor to Serv-O- Lift Corporation, Boston, Mass., acorporation of Massachusetts Application February 25, 1957, Serial No.642,116

5 Claims. (Cl. 31271) This invention comprises a new and improveddispenser for storing a varying load of trays, plates or other articlesand automatically advancing the whole load to present one of sucharticles at a predetermined position for convenient removal.

The dispenser of this invention is characterized by a novel andsimplified system of suspension for its carrier plate by the employmentof which it is possible to do away with the elaborate sprocket chainmechanism required in dispensers heretofore widely used. In accordancewith the present invention I employ a continuous cord or cable trainedover a system of pulleys located above and below the carrier plate so asto span its whole range of travel, fastened to the plate between eachpair of vertically arranged pulleys and with inclined or diagonalconnecting portions that maintain the plate in level position throughoutits travel. It has been found that in practice this suspension systemmaintains a carrier plate level in all positions thereof and regardlessof the load.

The dispenser of this invention is further characterized by havingelevating mechanism operatively connected to the carrier plateindependently of the suspension system above outlined. The elevatingmechanism includes an arm having at one end a hoisting connection withthe carrier plate, a spring biasing the arm in a direction to lift theplate in combination with a worm and rack carried by the arm foradjusting the point of spring connection.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective shown with parts of the casing brokenaway, and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of one section of the suspension system.

In the specific form herein shown the dispenser comprises a rectangularouter casing which includes a bottom and four upright wall panels 10,11, 12 and 13. The casing is shown as square in cross-section but may beof any desired shape. Within the casing a square platform or carrierplate M is mounted for free vertical movement.

The suspension system for the carrier plate includes a series of upperpulleys 15, 16, 17 and 18 mounted respectively near one upper corner ofthe panels 10, 11, 12 and 13, and a series of lower pulleys 19, 20, 21and 22 mounted respectively in the same panels and adjacent to the lowerdiametrically opposite corner from the corresponding upper pulley.

A continuous cable or cord 23, including in its length a tension clampor turnbuckle 24, is trained over these pulleys and permanently fixed tothe carrier plate 14 at each of its corners at a point below the upperpulleys of the system. The upper and lower pulleys limit the verticaltravel of the carrier plate 14 and accordingly span its entire range oftravel. One section of the system is shown in Fig. 2 from which it willbe apparent that when the carrier plate 14 is depressed a distance A,the right Patented Dec. 29, 1959 hand vertical section of the cord 23will give up a length exactly equal to the distance B by which the lefthand section of the cord moves downwardly. In other words, the length ofthe cordbetween any two consecutive points of attachment to the carrierplate 14 remains constant in all four panels of the casing. The functionof the clamp 24 is that of maintaining the cord always in tautcondition. It will be noted that the suspension system is complete andself-contained.

It will be seen that in passing over the upper pulley '16 and the lowerpulley 21 the cord 23 is directed in a right angular path, that is tosay, one diagonal portion of the cord moves in a path parallel to thepanel 11 and this'is connected to another diagonal portion moving in apath parallel to the panel 12. The same change in direction occurs fourtimes in the circuit of the casing.

The elevating mechanism which, as already noted, is entirely independentof the suspension system comprises a tension spring 26 secured at itslower end by a bracket to the bottom of the casing and at its upper endto an adjustable slide 28 movable longitudinally upon an arm 29. The armis supported for oscillation about a universal joint 30 located at itsright hand end as seen in Fig. 1 and carried by the inner end of a shortrod mounted in the panel 10 and provided with a hand wheel 31. The arm29 carries the inner member of the universal joint which terminates in aworm 33 meshing with a rack 32 slidable in the arm 29 and connected tothe slide 28. Accordingly, by rotating the hand wheel 31 the rack andthe slide 28 may be moved toward or from the fulcrum of the arm 29 andthe effect of the spring 26 thus increased or decreased.

At its free end the arm 29 carries a pulley 34 and this is movable asthe arm 29 swings beneath a pair of pulleys 35 and 36 mounted adjacentto the upper edge of the panel 11 in spaced relation. A cord or cable37, fast at one end to the carrier plate 14, passes upwardly over thepulley 35, then downwardly and about the pulley 34, and upwardly aboutthe pulley 36. From there it passes to an adjustable rod 38 to which itsother end is fastened. The rod 38 is mounted in a bracket secured to thepanel 11 and is threaded for convenient adjustment which, in cooperationwith adjustment of the spring 26, determines the path of the carrierplate 14. It will be apparent that tension of the spring 26 is effectivealways to increase the length of the vertical loop in the cord 23 andthus to elevate the carrier plate.

Where loads to be handled are heavy I find it advisable to duplicate thespring assembly on the opposite side of the unit and thus improve theaction of the platform assembly under those conditions.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail a preferredembodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent:

1. A dispenser having an outer casing of upright walls forming athree-dimensional enclosure with a carrier plate movable therein, and asuspension system comprising a. series of upper pulleys mounted in theupper portion of the walls, a series of lower pulleys mounted in thelower portion of the walls, and a cord leading continuously over saidpulleys one after another and being fixed to the plate at a point aboveeach of the lower pulleys and below each of the upper pulleys, the planeof the cord located on any one wall being perpendicular to the plane ofthe cord on either adjacent upright wall, together with enclosedelevating mechanism including a spring-actuated arm having a hoistingconnection with the carrier plate independent of the suspension system.

2. A dispenser as described in claim 1 in which the carrier plate issubstantially square and the cord is fixed thereto adjacent each of itscorners.

3. A dispenser comprising an outer rectangular casing plate, the planeof the cord located on any one wall panel being perpendicular to theplane of the cord located in either adjacent upright panel, togetherwith elevating -mechanism including a spring-actuated arm having ahoisting connection with the carrier plate independent of said cord.

' 4. A dispenser comprising an enclosure of upright panels disposed atright angles to each other, a carrier plate movable vertically thereinin a limited path of travel, pulleys mounted in each panel at pointsabove and below the range of carrier plate travel, and a cord trainedover said pulleys and connected to the carrier plate at points beloweach of the pulleys which are located above the range of carrier traveland having diagonal connecting portions that cross each panel, ,theplane of the cord located on any one panel being perpendicular to theplane of the cord located in either adjacent upright panel, togetherwith elevating mechanism including a spring and connections with thecarrier plate independent of the connections of said cord therewith.

- 4 5. A dispenser comprising a rectangular enclosure of upright panelsdisposed at right angles to each other, a

carrier'plate movable vertically therein in a limited path of travel,upper and lower pulleys mounted on each of the panels at points spanningthe range of carrier plate travel, and a cord having a portion leadingin a substantially vertical direction from each of the upper pulleys andanother portion extending 'at'; an angle of about 45 to thenext lowerpulley, said vertical portions being'connected to the carrier plate atpoints between each of 'said pairs of pulleys, whereby in the verticalmovement of the' plate, the length of cord given up below one point ofconnection is equal to the increase in cord length above an adjacentpoint of connection with the carrier plate, together with elevatormechanism including a'spring-actuated arm having an adjustable hoistingconnection with the carrier plate that is independent of the connectionsof said cord therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS195,915 Bergner Oct. 9, 1877 1,710,442 Warshaw Apr. 23, 1929 2,601,295Jensen June 24, 1952 25 2,647,030' Fitz Patrick July 28, 1953

